October has arrived, and with it, the usual deluge of listicles describing all the very best horror games on Xbox and similarly spooky-season themed titles for you to play. Who are we to deny the very best in video game website tradition?
The beauty of our list of course, is that every single one of these games is a part of your Xbox Game Pass subscription. As long as you’re an active subscriber, you can just download any of these unsettling titles and get stuck right in (or end up hiding behind your sofa).
If you disagree with our list of the best horror games on Xbox, then feel free to check out our awesome Xbox Game Pass app, DayOne. You can track, rate and search for all the best co-op games on the service, and pick your preferred title. Jump in!
Best Horror Games on Xbox (in no particular order)
Amnesia: The Bunker (Available on Game Pass)
Amnesia: The Bunker is a first-person horror game from the developers behind SOMA and Amnesia. As the player, you’ll find yourself trapped and all alone in a claustrophobic World War 1 bunker with a single bullet in your trusty sidearm.
Did I say you were alone down there? My mistake. Maybe leave the light on for this one.
Dead Space (2023 – Available on Xbox Game Pass)
As an everyman engineer tasked with repairing a huge mining ship, you’ll seen discover something has gone horribly wrong. Oh, and your wife is missing, because of course she is. This is a remake of the original Dead Space, released back in 2008 – and you can find the rest of the franchise on the service too!
In our review, we said: The Dead Space Remake has no flaws for me. It took one of my favorite franchises and reinvented it perfectly. It is stunning to look at, and every single change or addition they made works. This remake is a masterpiece and I hope that this is the rebirth that the Dead Space franchise deserves.
Dead Island 2 (Available on Game Pass)
Dead Island 2 is zombie-filled FPS Action RPG with sunlit streets and a boat load of Zombies to slay. You can even grab a couple of mates and bring them along for a quest-filled Zombie slicing stay in “Hell-A”.
In our review, we said: Dead Island 2 is fantastic. It knows what it is, and that’s a ton of sneakily smart dumb fun. The FLESH system is horrific and awful and the best. Smashing, chopping, burning, and exploding humans has never been so fun.
Inscryption (Available on Game Pass from October 10th)
Inscryption is an atmospheric and unsettling psychological horror game that mixes multiple genres together. From deckbuilding roguelikes, escape-room style puzzles, and mind-bending horror into quite the heady concoction.
It’s not out on Game Pass until October 10th, and was quite the smash hit on Steam when it released back in 2021.
INSIDE (Available on Game Pass)
INSIDE is a masterpiece, and it’s so good that we can’t say much more than leave the summary of our review. (Lest we spoil anything for you if you haven’t already played this one)
Prey (Available on Game Pass)
Arkane’s deeply ambitious and underrated immersive sim Prey is a cult classic, and can easily be a part of some of the best horror games on Xbox. The game follows main character Morgan Yu as he attempts to navigate a space station, Talos I. It’s in disarray and has been overrun by an alien species known as Typhon.
What makes Prey so unique and ultimately everlasting is the level design and ability to play how you want to. Early on in the game, you are free to explore the station as you see fit. The moment to moment gameplay adds layers to this freedom as you are able to tackle most situations in a variety of ways.
Stealth is a great choice to safely navigate Talos I. However, the GLOO cannon, wrench, and various other firearms and gadgets give you ultimate freedom. You can choose how you want to proceed through the game.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Available on Game Pass)
This is an easy one to include in our best horror games on Xbox list. The team at Ninja Theory have achieved what many considered impossible – combining a level of visual fidelity not seen on console before, paired with a level of immersion and sense of place that is, as of now – unmatched in video games.
It absolutely must be played with headphones, and you will feel every blow, shudder at every desperate scream and the terrifying sounds of your enemies as you guide Senua on her journey through a familiar but entirely new kind of hell.
In our review, we said: It doesn’t waste your time, and it exceeds it’s goals in every conceivable way, delivering the true ‘next-gen’ showcase Xbox fans have been waiting for. If this is “Independent AAA”? Sign me up for more.
State of Decay 2 (Available on Game Pass)
As per developers Undead Labs – “The dead have risen and civilization has fallen. Not even the military could stop the zombies, and now it’s up to you to gather survivors, scavenge for resources and build a community with up to three of your friends in a post-apocalyptic world – a world where every decision matters, and where you define what it means to survive in this ultimate zombie survival simulation.“
In our review, we said: State of Decay 2 is a legitimately great game. The zombie apocalypse genre is oversaturated at this point, but State of Decay is able to find its own lane and provide genuinely unique and interesting mechanics that very few other games can pull off. The game as it stands today has seen a massive improvement over what launched in 2018, and Undead Labs should be proud of how the game has evolved.
Still Wakes the Deep (Available on Game Pass)
Still Wakes the Deep is a first person horror game from developers ‘The Chinese Room’. You play as an oil rig worker, stationed on a rig just off the shore of Scotland in the North Sea.
In our review, we said: Still Wakes the Deep is a special experience. A brilliant setting for a horror story is matched by quality writing and stellar voice acting. It’s available on Game Pass at launch and I highly recommend giving it a try to anyone interested.
The Callisto Protocol (Available on Game Pass)
You play as Jacob, an inmate of Black Iron Prison, a maximum security penitentiary 300 years in the future. When inmates transform into monstrous creatures, you must find a way to survive.
It was a bit ropey at launch, but it’s seen quite a few patches to bring it up to where it needs to be. Fans of games like Dead Space might want to check this one out, but it’s not for everyone.
The Quarry (Available on Game Pass)
What we said in our review: This game is such a tribute to a beloved genre that it even contains rules that will help you to survive (if you bother to learn them.) It may not be the cheapest but it sure is an experience to enjoy. Having Jason’s ‘kill, kill, kill’ motif echoing around your head as you play it is not a prerequisite but it sure is fun.
“Place your faith in up to 7 friends in online play, where invited players watch along and vote on key decisions, creating a story shaped by the whole group! Or, play together in a party horror couch co-op experience where each player picks a counselor and controls their actions.” Try not to get killed!
Zombie Army 4: Dead War (Available on Game Pass)
Per developer Rebellion – Hitler’s hordes are back for more in this spine-chilling shooter from the makers of Sniper Elite 4! Abominable occult enemies, epic weapons and a harrowing new campaign for 1-4 players await in 1940s Europe, as you fight to save humankind from undead Armageddon!
In our review, we said: Zombie Army 4 is a game I never gave a chance before Game Pass, and it really is a perfect game for the service. The base campaign is long and the potential to get you to purchase the season pass DLC means it should help the developers earn quite a bit more for all their hard work. The shooting is fun, the campaign is just the right length, the voice acting, and story are bad on purpose and it all leads to a fun game that is worth your time, especially if you’ve got a few friends to play alongside you.
Costume Quest (Available on Game Pass)
Published by THQ and developed by now Xbox-owned Double Fine Productions, Costume Quest puts a fun spin on ‘trick or treating’ with an imaginative RPG adventure as you fight to save Halloween itself.
Oh, and the sequel – Costume Quest 2 – is on Game Pass too.
Resident Evil 2 & Resident Evil 3 (Available on Game Pass)
Two absolute classics lovingly remade by Capcom. In our review for Resident Evil 2, we said: Resident Evil 2 is a fantastic get for Game Pass, and the new port on the Microsoft Store is excellent. It’s Play Anywhere, terrifying, and well worth checking out for anyone looking to clap some zombie cheeks.
On Resident Evil 3, we said: Resident Evil 3’s remake is the weakest of the recent trilogy (2, 3, & 4), but it’s still a damned good time. With it coming to Game Pass I don’t feel bad recommending a download, as its short run time means you can finish it easily enough in a night or two.
And that’s our list! That’s a total of 16 titles that we consider to be some of the best horror games on Xbox (I felt 13 was just too obvious at this point!), all thematically suitable to give you the creeps, and all of them available as part of your Game Pass subscription.
What are you going to play to celebrate the spooky season? Let us know by commenting in our forums, or get involved in our very active community by joining the XboxEra Discord.
